Loading and unloading device.



J. '1. CLARK. LOADING AND UNLOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION I'ILBD OOT.21, 1911.

Patented Sept. 8, 19-14.

V INVENTOR c/a/m f LAQ C, r I B ATTORNEYS Jonn r. CLARK,

or new roan,

LOADING AND UNLSADING DEVICE.

Application filed October 21, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, borough of ltianhattan,

county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Loading and Unloading Device, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention is a means for handling loose material in bags or sacks, such as cement, grain, etc., and is adapted for use Pfil'tlC larly in transferring such bags from a certain height to a point below.

It has been attempted heretofore to use ordinary skids and chutes in the form or" a slide for handling bags of the character under consideration, but experience shows that such bags cannot be expeditiously handled with such apparatus for the reason that the bags frequently slide oil the skid and become lodged and torn in the chute.

This invention obviates the disadvantages of the sliding devices heretofore used, and, for the purposes under consideration, possesses pronounced advantages.

IVith the objects specified in view, the invention consists of a substantially flat base member on which is mounted, lengthwise of the base member, one or more raised guiding and retaining members, preferably one in the center of said base member. In the present, and what I now consider the best embodiment of the invention, the guiding and retaining member is of a substantially semicylindrical form in cross section.

In a device constructed as specified, the bag of material to be handled, for example cement, straddles the guiding and retaining member, the bag becoming indented so as to embrace or hug the guiding and retaining member, and slide down thereon with a minimum of friction and yet without being displaced or lodged in transit.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the bag handling device in operative position to a hatchway of a vessel, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end of the device showing the bag in position thereon.

The device embodies in construction a base member A, and a guiding and retain- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914:.

Serial Ho. 5,883.

ing member 13, mounted thereon and contraily thereof, lengthwise of the base member. said uiding member bein shown as' scmi cylindrical in cross section.

A bag of material C is shown on the device in position for sliding thereon. It will be noted hat the weight of the material in the bag causes the bag to sag at either end and to become indented at the center thereof, as shown at (Z, the center of the bag conforming substantially to the contour of the guiding member B upon which the bag is straddled.

It will be obvious that the device may be,

used in various ways, but for purposes of illustration I have shown it positioned in the hatchway c in the decks E, E of a vessel. The device is placed in an inclined position, extending from an upper deck to a lower one, and it will be apparent that the material may readily slide down the device, in the manner described, from one deck to the other.

In practice, for convenience, I usually build a wall composed of a number of bags of material C at the foot ofthe slideway, and upon which the lower end of the slide way rests, so as to form a stop for the bags when they reach the lower end of the slideway. The bags are simply dropped onto the slideway, and without particular regard to their being accurately positioned thereon, whereupon they assume the conformation described and slide by gravity to the bottom. of the slideway. I have found in practice that the guiding and retaining member soon becomes so smoothened by the bags passing over it that the bags slide down thereon very quickly and with little or no friction, thereby enabling the slideway to be used at a com paratively small incline, and, also, avoir tearing and wear on the bags. In using the device as described, I am enabled to handle bags of material of the character specified much more expeditiously and economically than is possible with chutes or skids heretofore used. Should a slideway of particular length not be sufliciently long to connect the two points between which the material is to be transferred, two or more slideways may be placed in alinement by building up a support at the connecting ends. It will be particularly noted that the slideway is very simple in construction and can be built very economically.

Having thus fully described the invention,

what 1. elaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent i:

1. An inclined slideway for handling bags of loose material, embodying an imperferate base member, and a guiding and retaining member positioned lengthwise of said base member and substantially intermediate the side edges of said member, the up per surface of the base member being sul stantially continuous at the respeeti e sides of the guii'iing and retaining member so to be exposed to]: frictional Contact with the b I, embodying an imperiou the respective side edges Jae trom flanges 1nd sed tor trioupper s whim is expo tifii'lifll t with the bags ot mate- K Ming member positi base member and Sea), "'l i itermediate the side edges thereof, sait g1 ding and retaining member extending upwardly from the base member, whereby a bag eontai deposited upon the sl ed by contact with t mg; and ret Ht-3G oi said ling loose material and iileway beeomes indent- 1e guiding and retainrial, and a guiding and retaining member t'ioiied lengthwise of said base member and l llvmter 11Qll"t6 the side edi e \J uding and i. taming memb 1.

ly semi-eylindrieal in shape 1px "ardly from the base mema tag containing loose mateiipoii the slide'i'ay be i by 1 xatae" with the l'1idi'|)l er so that sai mend (lo: V to said a I i e d VH5] the weigfxt of said bag of material 1.5, imposed upon the evpose 1 surfaces of V l ase mz-wmber and the guiding and retaieit; i1 mbei.

witnessesv Witnesses EDGAR F. Le BLANC, Main; C. GOODMAN.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, ID. C. 

